#WriterWednesday with DonnaRae Menard

I’d like to welcome the amazing and oh so funny DonnaRae Menard to the blog today for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Lay around and daydream about all the story lines I’d like to write in all the different genres, except romance. Basically, I’d rather kill you, then kiss you.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: Cleaning the bathroom, walking the cat, sorting out all my old notes.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Explaining that yes, I do work.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Actually doing the work.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online: I bought a cat tree at a going out of business sale. When it arrived, it was eight feet tall and so heavy that a freight hauler pulled into my driveway.

The thing you wished you’d never bought. I ordered a dietary supplement to try. I ended up with a three month supply every two weeks and it took me four months to get them to stop.

Favorite snacks: Salty, pretzels, all kinds and flavors of chips and crackers, good sourdough toast.

Things that make you want to gag: yogurt, crème d’anything, commercial Danish.

Something you’re really good at: Talking, marketing, selling face to face, finding my way from here to there.

Something you’re really bad at: Not getting sarcastic when somebody p***es me off.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Be an airline stewardess

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Travel, all by car because I get airsick.

Something you wish you could do: Figure out how to use electronics, swim, say no.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Gut fish, change tires, pole dance. No wait, that was in a book.

Things to say to an author: Thank you. I get lost in your world. You made me cry.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: You have no idea what work is. None of this could ever happen. Do you understand what a comma is?

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Jumped out of a second story window on a 25-cent dare.

Something you chickened out from doing: Zip lining in New Mexico. It turns out that I’m afraid of heights.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Meeting the people in the book, and gossiping about them to people in real life.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: Get divorced, take that first book in 1970, and step forward with it instead of waiting until 2015.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: At a presentation with six authors, a woman walked up to me with a stack of my Katie Took books, and said that as soon as she walked in the room, she knew I was Kaite Took.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: Regarding Murder on Eagle Drop Ridge; This really happened, didn’t it? If it had, I’d still be in therapy.

Best piece of advice you received from another writer: Keep at it, every day put words on paper even it it’s just your name, your working title, and the time you’re at it.

Something you would tell a younger you about your writing: Don’t wait until you’re on your deathbed to do what you love.’

Recommendations for curing writer’s block: Make your hands busy doing something mindless, then let your brain wander down what ever road it wants to go.

Things you do to avoid writing: Video chat with my great-grand-daughter, bake, stand in the yard and wave my fist at the neighbors.

About DonnaRae

DonnaRae Menard started her writing career in seventh grade with a back-firing slanderous account of the jet set kids. Even though it took a while to develop the nerve to try again, she is out there plying her trade. With the support of Verena Rose and Level Best Books, she is pleased to announce the second book in the It's Never Too Late series, Murder on Eagle Drop Ridge, will be released in mid-June. Also available on Amazon is In the Shadow of Pharaoh, and It Takes Guts.

DonnaRae has found a niche in cozy/suspense, historical fiction, and is now dappling in a bit of fantasy. A first, second, and always New Englander, with a house filled with family and cats, she would like to write about somewhere else, but there are just too many places to hide a body close to home.

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Facebook: DonnaRae Menard

YouTube: DonnaRae Menard Readings

Website: donnaraemenardbooks.com

Writing Mixtape - What Does Your Writing Time Look Like?

I’m often asked by readers and newer writers about what my writing time looks like. I still have a day gig, so my writing time revolves around that.

I’m an early bird. I start my day at 5 AM, and I write until it’s time for work.

On days, that the words just don’t flow, I work on blog posts or other marketing tasks.

When I’m ready to start a new writing project, I clean my desk. I like it organized, but it often gets crazy when I’m writing and researching.

I am a plotter (one who outlines the entire book before writing). I do an outline where I highlight romantic, comedic, and mystery elements, so I can see that they are spread throughout the book. Since my daily writing time is limited, it helps me to stay focused if I have already worked out the mystery and the plot. It usually takes me two to three weeks to complete my outline. I also do any research that pops up during this time, too.

When I start writing, I try to do 1,000 a day on workdays and 3,000 words on holidays and weekends. If I stick to this schedule, I can usually write a complete first draft in two and half months. Life gets in the way sometimes, so I try to give myself some grace if I don’t always stick to the schedule.

After all the writing and research, then the real fun begins. I spend another couple of months editing and revising before the manuscript goes to my critique partner and eventually my agent.

What does your writing day look like?

#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Author Kalee Boisvert

I’d like to welcome author Kalee Boisvert back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Battling my own perfectionism enough to actually share my work. I have to remind myself that if I wait until something feels absolutely perfect, it may never leave my computer. At some point, I have to trust that it’s ready, let it go, and know that perfection was never really the goal anyway.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Coming up with ideas. They tend to find me everywhere, usually when I’m doing something completely unrelated to writing. The real trick is remembering to write them down before they disappear.

Things you need for your writing sessions: A laptop, a little quiet, and several beverage options. It might be the ADHD in me, but I like to have a hot drink, a cold drink, and something fizzy all within reach. Apparently one beverage is simply not enough.

Things that hamper your writing: Having my email open, overthinking, and my little sidekick Jax suddenly needing something that, despite other capable humans being nearby, apparently only Mom can do.

Words that describe you: Curious, sensitive, creative, optimistic, a little unconventional, and an unapologetic french fry lover.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Impatient, perfectionistic, and easily distracted.

Last best thing you ate: Hand rolled sushi from a fabulous little sushi spot in Vancouver. So simple, so fresh, and so good.

Last thing you regret eating: The unlimited ice cream at the Museum of Ice Cream in Vegas. Turns out “unlimited” is less of an invitation and more of a warning once you’re over 40.

Things you’d walk a mile for: A crazy adventure with my kiddos and pretty much any ride at Disney. Disney is probably the only place where I can put in an outrageous number of steps and somehow not mind at all.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Most bugs. Although I’m really working on this fear. I’ve rescued several spiders and safely sent them back outside this summer, so I’m calling that progress.

Things you always put in your books: Heart and authenticity. Whether a story is silly, serious, or somewhere in between, I want there to be something real underneath it that readers can recognize in themselves.

Things you never put in your books: Anything that talks down to kids or tells them exactly what they’re supposed to take away from a story. I’d rather give them something to think about and let them decide what it means to them.

Things to say to an author: That something in their book made you think about something differently or stayed with you after you finished reading. I can’t imagine a better compliment than knowing something you created meant something to someone else.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Point out a typo immediately after they’ve finally convinced their perfectionist brain to stop editing and release the book into the world.

Favorite things to do: Travel and pretty much any adventure with my kids. They are genuinely two of the coolest and most fun people I know. I also love eating really good food and going to Disney, which is absolutely my happy place. I recommend Disney to people of literally every age. There is something about it that forces you to be present, have fun, and get excited about whatever is coming next.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Paperwork. Especially paperwork that has to be printed, filled out by hand, and returned with an original signature. Also returning things. I would almost always rather just keep the thing. And cutting up a full watermelon. I can’t explain it, but simply looking at one feels like a task I am not prepared to take on. I am deeply grateful to whoever decided pre-cut watermelon should exist.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I recently created a full rap song for my 12 year old daughter, completely unprompted. I was very committed to the concept.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: That same rap song. I somehow ended up performing it myself with her little brother as my backup dancer. She has officially passed on a career as a rapper, but she did thoroughly enjoy the song and our performance, so I’m still calling it a success.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: My daughter once told me she wanted to become a YouTube star and join all the kids making the big bucks, but she wasn’t sure she had any big talent to build a channel around. That conversation became the inspiration for Spectacularly Mediocre Maisey. It made me think about how most of us won’t be extraordinary at everything we try, and that was never supposed to be the point. We can do things simply because we enjoy them. We can be mediocre at something and have an absolutely spectacular time doing it.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: Some readers might suspect that Bernice, the Busiest of Bees is based on my own tendency to be constantly doing something and struggling to just slow down. But Bernice is a bee, and I am not, so I think I disguised that one pretty well.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: New Kids on the Block. I was completely obsessed. I’m pretty sure knowing all the words and having a favorite New Kid was basically a requirement at the time.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Country. No offense to the country artists out there because I appreciate all forms of art. It’s just never been the soundtrack for me.

About Kaylee:

Kalee Boisvert has spent over fifteen years in the financial industry, driven by a desire to rewrite the money story she grew up with. Raised in a single-parent household, she became passionate early on about financial empowerment and helping others create freedom and confidence through money. But her path didn’t stop there.

Over time, Kalee’s work expanded into something deeper: a soul-level invitation for women to remember who they are. Today, she writes both financial and spiritual books—offering practical tools, tender truth, and gentle reminders that you are already enough.

 Let’s Be Social:

More information can be found at: Kalee Boisvert - Your Money Guru | Contact

#WriterWednesday Interview with Michael Colon

michael colon

I’d like to welcome Michael Colon to the blog for #WriterWednesday.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Turning my experiences, observations, and imagination into stories. Once I have an idea, the words usually start flowing naturally.

Words that describe you: Creative, observant, determined, imaginative, reflective, ambitious, and resilient.

Things you always put in your books: New York City, strong emotions, memorable characters, imagination, and themes about identity, life, and overcoming adversity. I also like putting a little bit of myself into every story.

Your favorite movie as a child: Space Jam. I loved the combination of sports, comedy, animation, and imagination. It captured the feeling of believing that anything was possible.

Something you're really good at: Athletics. I've always been naturally competitive and athletic, and I enjoy sports and physical activity.

Things you never put in your books: Anything that feels completely pointless or doesn't serve the story. I also don't like writing just for shock value. Even when I explore difficult subjects, I want there to be some meaning behind them.

A type of music that's not your cup of tea: Heavy metal. It's just not really my sound.

Things you'd walk a mile for: Anything that could lead to a great memory—or really good food. If I know there's a memorable experience waiting for me at the end of the walk, I'm probably going.

Something you're really bad at: Being patient when I have an idea, I’m excited about. Once something gets into my head, I want to work on it immediately. I can also overthink things sometimes.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop, some quiet or the right atmosphere, something to drink, and most importantly, an idea that I'm excited about. Music can help sometimes too, especially when I'm trying to get into the mood of a particular scene.

About Michael:

Michael Colon is an award-winning New York-based writer whose work blends imagination, emotion, and real-life experiences into stories that explore identity, adversity, creativity, and the human experience. A lifelong New Yorker with a passion for athletics, culture, and storytelling, Michael draws inspiration from the people, places, and memories that have shaped him. His writing often combines elements of fantasy, spirituality, humor, and everyday life, while keeping a strong emotional connection to his characters. Whether he's writing fiction, poetry, or personal reflections, Michael strives to create stories that leave readers with something to think about—and hopefully, a memory they won't forget.

Writing Mixtape - What Do You Like in Your Cozies?

What do you like in your cozy mysteries? There are so many subgenres and flavors these days. I asked my newsletter readers last month, and here’s what they said. The items in bold had many, many responses.

• Mysteries that keep you guessing

• A cozy with paranormal elements

• A cozy with comedic elements

• A cozy with some thrilling action

• A cozy with romcom elements

• A whodunnit

• A cozy with a dog or a cat as a sidekick

• A cozy set in a cool site like a bayou

I also asked them what job they’d like to see an amateur sleuth have. I love the variety that they came up with.

• Private Investigator

• Clothing Store Owner

• Baker

• An Unmarried Sleuth

• Yoga Instructor

• Boutique Owner

• Librarian

• Teacher

• Circus Entertainers

• Ringmaster

• Town Managemer

• Local Government Clerk

• Engineer

• Counselor

• Funeral Director

• Bookstore Owner

• Pontoon Boat Tour Guide

• Architect

• Someone Who Works at the Town Courthouse

What do you like in your cozy mysteries and what job would you like your sleuth to have?

#ThisorThatThursday with Author Penny McGinnis

I’d like to welcome Penny McGinnis for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: I’m guessing a lot of authors would agree with me. The hardest part is marketing. I enjoy meeting people at book signings and chatting about books, but I’m not good at the publicity part. I saw a post that said, “I’m terrible at marketing. Please read my book.” That’s me.

Easiest thing about being a writer: I love to create the setting and imagine the small town where my characters live. I grew up near a small town and have enjoyed recreating the community vibe.

Words that describe you: Hopeful, White-haired, Creative, Wife, Mom, Grammy

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Tired and Non-energetic (is that a word?)

Something you’re really good at: Writing—I hope—or at least that’s what I’m told—by my sister and some of my friends.

Something you’re really bad at: Cleaning the house. I hate dusting. It literally makes me sick. So, I use my allergies as an excuse to let the dust bunnies live.

Favorite music or song: My favorite song is an old hymn, “It is Well With My Soul.” I learned it in college with my friends, and I appreciate the hopeful message.

Music that drives you crazy: Loud music where I can’t understand the words. Yep, I’m that age.

Things you’d walk a mile for: My dog. We take her for at least a mile walk most days.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Spiders—I advise them not to enter my home.

Things you always put in your books: An animal. My cozy mystery has two adorable Valais Blacknose Sheep.

Things you never put in your books: Curse words

Favorite places you’ve been: I had wanted to visit Maine for most of my life, and I finally got there for my sixtieth birthday. We stayed near Portland and explored the southern coast. I got to see puffins and lots of lighthouses. I want to go back and visit the northern part.

Places you never want to go to again: Florida. I went there to visit my Grammy when I was a kid and have no desire to go back.

Favorite books (or genre): My favorite genre is cozy mystery. I love solving the puzzle and the justice served.

Books you wouldn’t buy: I wouldn’t buy horror.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I rode a zipline at the camp where my daughter worked and enjoyed it. There was an eighty-year-old woman in line behind me, and that gave me the determination to try.

Something you chickened out from doing: A second ride on the zipline a year later. After I had the harness on and waited to step off the platform, I totally froze. (At least I tried and succeeded once.)

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: I was a quilter for several years, and I’ve embroidered most of my life. This year, I’m learning to weave on a simple loom. It’s been fun.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: Any time I tried to ice a cake with pretty flowers, I totally failed. I’ll stick with fiber arts.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: I’m guessing it would have been a John Denver album. In high school, I had all of his albums.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Opera—I don’t understand it.

My favorite book as a child: When I was five, it would have been Dr. Suess, but Little Women is my all-time favorite.

A book I’ve read more than once: Christy by Catherine Marshall is a fantastic story set in the Appalachian Mountains.

About Penny:

Penny Frost McGinnis has lived in the world of books most of her life. From a small library shared with her cousins to a career working in libraries until retirement, she has developed a deep respect and love for the written word. An avid reader, Penny lives in Ohio with her husband and their golden retriever, Rosie May. She embraces and enjoys her faith, family, fiber arts, and baseball. Her writing goal is to give readers a place to be uplifted and encouraged and to leave reality behind for a bit.

Let’s Be Social:

Website/Blog: https://www.pennyfrostmcginnis.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PennyFrostMcGinnisAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyfrostmcginnisauthor/

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/author/penny.frost.mcginnis.author

Newsletter:                  https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/526944/95682695697270249/share

#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Rebecca Saltzer

I’d like to welcome Rebecca Saltzer to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Quitting my job on Wall Street with no plans other than to take a trip to Europe and then come home and write a mystery novel.

Something you chickened out from doing: Trying to actually make a living as a writer. I went to graduate school instead, got my PhD in earthquake seismology, and saved some money before picking the writing back up.

Things you always put in your books: Independent, smart women. They’re fun to read about and are the type of people I choose as friends.

Things you never put in your books: Sex and gratuitous violence. For me, the interesting part of a murder mystery is understanding the motivation behind the crime and solving the puzzle of who did it.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: Murder Over Broken Bonds is loosely based on a real fraud I investigated when I worked as a bond analyst at a NY City investment bank. My second and third novels, Not Accounting for Murder and A Golden Opportunity for Murder, borrow from the Enron collapse and the 1963 Salad Oil Swindle, respectively. And, a drunk trader really did throw up after a company party, all over my coat and shoes.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: I’m occasionally asked if someone actually got murdered because of the fraud. (Not that I know of.)

Something you’re really good at: Recognizing when something doesn’t add up—it’s my protagonist’s superpower too.

Something you’re really bad at: Letting things go. If something doesn’t make sense, I will keep poking until I get to the bottom of it. On Wall Street, that saved traders from costly mistakes. That said, my husband would probably prefer if I applied it only to fiction.

Besides writing, what’s the most creative thing you’ve done: In college, I co-hosted a Friday afternoon news program on the local radio station with a friend.

A project that didn’t quite turn out the way you planned it: One time on the radio show, we managed to play two songs at the same time over the air. When we realized what had happened, we offered a free pizza to whoever could identify the two songs. Not a single person called!

Things to say to an author: Did the stuff you write about really happen when you worked on Wall Street?

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Have you read (fill-in-the-blank-with-a-completely-different genre)…? Maybe you could write something more like that.

Your favorite movie as a child: ET. It was fun to watch his adventures after being stranded on earth and so sad when he had to leave!

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): A horror movie called Have You Seen the Children? My sister and I were in high school and my parents took a trip abroad leaving the two of us alone at the house. At 4 am the phone rang, and I leapt out of bed. As I ran to grab it in the other room, I kept thinking of the murderer’s creepy voice asking “Have you seen the children??????” It turned out to be my mother, calling from the airport during a layover stop to say hello.

My favorite book as a child: Charlotte's Web.

A book I've read more than once: Same answer— but the amazing part is that a few years after reading it, I actually met the author, E.B. White. He lived on an old farm on the coast of Maine and showed me the barn that inspired Wilbur and Charlotte. His writing spot was a small cottage apart from the house, with a view of the ocean — I still think about that when I imagine my own ideal place to write.

Words that describe you: Curious, analytical, and perceptive. I spent years on Wall Street learning that the line between ambition and greed is razor thin—and that everyone has something to hide. It's the theme running through my whole Wall Street Mystery series, honestly.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Skeptical. I never believe the obvious explanation. My characters (and family) find this exhausting. Fortunately, my readers seem to appreciate it.

Hardest thing about being a writer: It’s solitary. You work for long periods of time, alone. To make sure I’m not writing in a vacuum, I link up with fellow authors through various writing organizations and belong to a critique group. It’s a great place to get candid feedback about which parts of the narrative work and, more importantly, which parts don’t.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Rewriting the story. You can’t do that in real life.

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Saltzer worked as a bond analyst on the trading floor at Lehman Brothers in New York City in the financial heyday of the eighties. Like the protagonist in her novel, she sometimes encountered fraud and other questionable business practices, except in real life, none of it led to murder. In 2021, Rebecca received the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for unpublished writers. When she’s not writing, she enjoys hiking with her two rescue dogs and exploring the great outdoors.

Let’s Be Social:

Author Website:  www.saltzerbooks.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebecca.saltzer.14/

Twitter/X: www.twitter.com/RebeccaSaltzer

Writing Mixtape - Where Do Story Ideas Come from?

I’m often asked where ideas for my mysteries come from. The answer is everywhere.

Real World News/Stories - Many ideas come from real world news, odd history shows, overheard conversations, and weird objects in stores. Anything that is unusual or odd can be a spark for a story. I find the best “murder weapons” in antique, hardware, and kitchen supply stores.

Moral Dilemmas - Look for situations that contain betrayal, loyalty, justice, and power themes. All have the makings of a good story.

Brainstorm Ideas - Sit down for ten or fifteen minutes and jot down or type any idea that comes into your head. You never know what will pop up. It will give you a starting point. Don’t edit, just make a list of what comes to mind.

Brainstorm with Others - The most fun we had in my writers’ group/critique group was when we did a group brainstorm to help out an author with some plot ideas. Some of our ideas were wacky and others were pretty good. It was a fun activity, and we all got a creative spark from it.

Create an Idea File - I used to rip out magazine and newspaper articles when we actually had those and keep them in a file. That graduated to a collection of sticky notes of cool things I wanted to remember. To corral the mess, I finally put together an organized (massive) idea spreadsheet. I go through the tabs before I start to plot. Make sure to mark off what you have already used before. If a file or spreadsheet, don’t work for you, you may try an idea journal.

What do you do to come up with ideas for a story?